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Caleb Elder for Vermont House

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Legislative Weekly 3/13/19

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Vermont Conservation Voters Endorses Caleb Elder
Vermont NEA Endorses Caleb Elder
Sierra Club Endorses Caleb Elder

We're With Caleb

Caleb is pragmatic, thoughtful, resourceful, a listener and a hard worker. He's strong in his stance but not stuck in his ways - all the attributes of a true Vermonter and the very traits that will make him a great rep for our district.

Michael Chorney - Lincoln

Caleb Elder, a fresh perspective on the issues we are facing.

Lauris Chamberlain - Bristol

Caleb is the kind of person we need in Montpelier. He grew up here, he lives here, and he keeps in mind the big picture when working to solve the problems we face as a whole community.

Mike Shepard - Starksboro

I support Caleb because he is a devoted public servant, a smart advocate, and will bring a fresh, innovative perspective to Montpelier.

Sarah McClain - Lincoln

We support Caleb because he supports our schools and also cares deeply about the environment. He is committed to our community and supports initiatives that brighten the future for us and our children!

Julie and Silas Clark - Bristol

Caleb is a clear thinker who sees the issues under consideration in a clear and comprehensive way. It would be great to have his fresh perspective over in Montpelier!

Louis Dupont - Starksboro

Caleb offers fresh thinking, dedication, and strong advocacy for clean, renewable energy.

Paul Claudon - Monkton

Caleb and family

Why I'm Running to represent Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton and Starksboro in the Vermont House

I am running to represent the priorities of our community in Montpelier. As a kid from Bristol and a proud graduate of Mount Abraham High School, I know that the towns of Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton and Starksboro form a unique community that values hard work, innovation, creativity, and tradition. We are a mix of the old and the new Vermont. We embrace change when it makes sense and we double down on time-honored solutions when they will continue to serve our families, friends, and businesses. We value things that work.

These values should play a more prominent role in Montpelier as representatives from our neighboring towns and counties discuss changes to Education, Energy, Healthcare and Transportation policy. My approach will be simple and is informed by my professional work with property owners, farmers, and contractors to develop renewable energy projects as well as by my recent experience serving on school boards for both Starksboro and the Mount Abraham Unified School District.

I promise to find practical solutions for our community by understanding the challenges we face week to week—raising our kids, paying increasing costs, and navigating more complex regulation. I believe we all share ambitions for schools which create opportunities for students, energy policy that creates jobs for a cleaner environment, and health care we can afford.

Priorities

Education

  • Emphasize workforce training and well-paying career paths open to Mt. Abe graduates.
  • Provide Vermont high school graduates with affordable options for continued education at VT State Colleges.
  • Pass education funding bill that reduces the burden on property tax payers.
  • Support continued local engagement in schools, following Act 46 mergers. Provide models for school advisory councils to augment the community engagement efforts of new Unified District Boards.

Health Care

  • Pass a Universal Primary Care bill as a first step towards Universal Health Care. Access to primary care can lower costs and improve outcomes over an entire population and over the long term. Our hospitals and insurers must help in this effort if we’re going to succeed.
  • Enable competition in the healthcare marketplace, where there is a clear need for  increased choice and pricing transparency.
Caleb at the Women's March

Energy

  • Provide streamlined regulation to enable and encourage high-efficiency affordable housing. Work with developers to understand how Vermont can support their work.
  • Revisit Net Metering rules following the 50% reduction in new permits in 2017.
  • Support existing farm methane projects and promote expansion of new biogas generation wherever possible.

Environment

  • Prioritize Lake Champlain cleanup efforts and identify new revenues to help pay for this long term effort.
  • Help Vermonters adapt to climate change and its effects.  We can strategize for changes in climate and weather while continuing our work to lower carbon emissions.
  • Pass a carbon reduction bill that ensures protections for low income Vermonters, while providing incentives to stop burning fossil fuels.

Transportation

  • Reconsider road designations to provide safe, bikeable routes for all Vermonters not just “road warriors”.  It should be safe for kids to bike to school on public roads.
  • Identify ways to continue funding our roads and bridges as the gas tax diminishes over time.
  • Increase bus and train services for commuters.
  • Expand broadband services throughout Vermont to facilitate more remote working opportunities.

Experience

Caleb and friends

Professional

  • 10 years working in the Renewable Energy sector, including solar project development for homeowners, schools, nonprofits and businesses.

Public Service

  • Board member, Starksboro Town School District, since 2015
  • Board member, Mount Abraham Unified School District, since 2017
  • Committee member, Act 46 Study Committee 2015-2016

Political

  • Vermont Democratic Party State Committee, 2012-2017
  • Addison County Democratic Committee, since 2011
  • Chair of Starksboro Democrats, since 2015

Education

  • Bristol Elementary School
  • Mount Abraham Union High School
  • Patricia Hannaford Career Center 
  • Middlebury College, Environmental Studies Major